5 players who could earn big money in IPL by impressing in Mzansi Super League

The 2018 Mzansi Super League is the inaugural edition of the tournament, scheduled to happen in South Africa from November 16 till December 16.

The tournament will feature six teams - Cape Town Blitz, Jozi Stars, Nelson Mandela Bay Giants, Durban Heat, Tshwane Spartans, and Paarl Rocks. Squads were finalized based on a players draft which happened in mid-October.

Majority of the top South African cricketers are participating in the tournament, which also includes some exciting overseas players like Rashid Khan, Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Dawid Malan, Eoin Morgan, and Jason Roy.

With the IPL 2019 auction coming up in mid-December, IPL franchises are busy hunting for quality talents and the first place they look into are the performances of players in the various T20 leagues from across the globe.

On that note, let’s take a look at the 5 players who could get big bucks in IPL with good performances in the Mzansi Super League.

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#5 Christiaan Jonker

Jonker made his international debut in 2018

One of the underrated middle-order batsmen in the South African domestic circuit, Christiaan Jonker received his maiden international call up a few months ago. One of the most destructive finishers in domestic T20 cricket, Jonker can smash it right from the word go.

The 32-year-old was exceptional in the 2017 Ram Slam T20 League. One of the top run-getters in the tournament, Jonker finished with 290 runs at a strike rate of 144. He played some blistering knocks in the tournament and was a standout performer.

A good 2018 Mzansi Super League will grab the attention of IPL franchises. Bought by Nelson Mandela Bay Giants for the inaugural edition of the tournament, Christiaan Jonker is expected to play a huge role for his team.

#4 Robbie Frylinck

Frylinck can be dangerous with both the bat and ball

All-rounders are always the most wanted players in Twenty20 cricket and IPL is no exception. IPL franchises have paid an insane amount of money for all-rounders in the past and the trend is expected to continue this season as well.

Frylinck has been one of the consistent performers in the South African domestic circuit and even made his Twenty20 international debut in 2017. Primarily a medium pacer, the 34-year-old is also known for his exceptional hitting abilities. He has picked up 99 wickets in his 99 T20 games and has a batting strike rate of almost 150.

Robbie Frylinck has played three T20 internationals for South Africa and his recent appearance came against Zimbabwe at Potchefstroom in October. Frylinck has picked up five T20I wickets at an economy rate of 6.20. With some consistent performances in the Mzansi league, Frylinck could fetch some big bucks in the 2019 IPL auction.

#3 Aiden Markram

Aiden Markram is expected to be the next big thing in South African cricket

Having made his South Africa debut a little more than 12 months ago, Aiden Markram is considered one of the most exciting young players in world cricket. Markram has played 16 One Day Internationals and 12 Tests for the Proteas so far.

A talented top-order batsman, the 24-year-old possesses great potential to develop into one of the best batsmen in the future. Though he hasn’t made his T20I debut for South Africa, he has scored 781 runs in T20 cricket at an average of 35.50 and a strike rate of 126.

Markram went unsold in the 2018 auction, but, with some good knocks for Paarl Rocks in the Mzansi league, he certainly can prove his worth. With the 2019 IPL auction coming right after the Super League, Markram has got a great opportunity to make the next big step in his already impressive cricketing career.

#2 Brandon Mavuta

Brandon Mavuta celebrates his first ODI wicket for Zimbabwe

This name will sound unfamiliar to most cricketing fans across the globe, except for the ones in Zimbabwe. Having made his T20I debut for Zimbabwe against Australia in July, Mavuta has shown a great deal of character as a leg-spinner in the past few months.

The 21-year-old was hugely impressive in the ODI and T20I series against South Africa, and produced some brilliant spells. A classical leg-spinner with a round-arm action, Mavuta flights the ball beautifully and also possesses a deceptive googly. He varies the pace well and troubles batsmen on a consistent basis.

He could be even more dangerous on Indian pitches and with some good performances in the Mzansi Super League, IPL franchises might want to add him to their squad. Playing alongside Rashid Khan for Durban Heat will allow him to learn a few more tricks.

#1 Dwaine Pretorius

Pretorius (second from the right) has been in great form this season

A cricketer who is tailor-made for the limited-overs format, Dwaine Pretorius is primarily a bowler who can be more than useful with the bat. With an average of 20 and a strike rate of almost 140 in domestic T20 cricket for Highveld Lions, Pretorius can be classified as a typical T20 all-rounder.

Having made his ODI debut for South Africa in 2016, Pretorius has so far played 14 One Day Internationals and two T20Is for the Proteas. Though he lost his place to Chris Morris for a brief period, he was bought back into the team for the recently concluded ODI series against Australia.

With his abilities to win games with both the bat and ball, the 29-year-old could be an exciting option for the IPL teams to look at. A good tournament for Jozi stars could certainly get him under the radar of IPL franchises for the 2019 campaign.